Study Guide The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman
Directions: Study Questions: Answer the questions or elaborate on an answer that is already posted.
Section 1: How the World Became Flat
Ch. 1- While I Was Sleeping 1.In this chapter, Friedman states that “the world is flat.” What does he mean by this?
Friedman means that more people than ever before can compete and work together all over the world at any time.
Friedman says that it "is a new found power for individuals to collaborate and compete globally." Pg. 10
He says "what the flattening of the world means is that we are now connecting all the knowledge centers on the planet togther into a single global network," page 8
Friedman explains that it is now easier for people to communicate between countries and explore such advanced technology by means such as cell phones, e-mail, Blackberries and many other types of technologies.
Friedman means that the playing field is leveled so that anyone can do anything anywhere. It doesnt matter if you are in India, you can stilll do work for americans and they may not even know it. This way work can get done 24 hours a day because it can be done anywhere in the world.
2.In chapter one, Friedman gives several examples of flattening. Discuss one.
Modern Flatting: personal computer (internet), telephones, satellites, fiber-optic cabel, international market (call centers in India; high technology global investment)
Flattening Examples: When Columbus discovered the New World, multinational companies, and almost any communication technologies
One example of flattening includes how people are now able to communicate on a widespread basis, all over the world- at any time and although good things come from it, faster production, quicker technology bad things also emerge such as terrorists groups and such.
Friedman also states that though there are great things to the world flattening like personal computers, international market, etc. terriosts and Qaeda networks also gain the advantage of flourishing technology.
Multinational Companies: He explains that any company can function all around the world because work can be done at any time. He salo says that the way of the future it international appeal so that you can sell your product all around the world, thus more profit for your company.
Ch. 2- The Ten Forces That Flattened the World
1.Choose three of the ten forces and briefly describe how they contributed to the flattening of the world. 1.) Work Flow Software - Let more workers handle work faster then it being done manually. First the SMTP let people email without having to worry about what kind of computer system the other one has. But email was not enough companies were also able to sent out documents. With it required and language of the internet which was HTTP. This allowed any document to be transmitted or read on, on any computer. HTTP was not the only one then came HTML, TCP/IP, XML, and SOAP they were the standards. By all this it allowed any two computer exchange formatted data. Then with hand held devices it is cable of exchanging data from all four corners without having to move.
-Offshoring: The internal relocation of a company's manufacturing or other processes to a foreign land in order to take advantage of less costly operations there
Uploading - Explains how uploading is now being outsourced to many countries around the world especially India
Work Flow Software - explains how documents can be transmitted to any computer because this created the computers own language.
Retail Supply Chaining - Explains how different local stores are branching out and becoming major world wide companies such as walmart.
Collapse of Berlin Wall: Taking down the wall allowed economic advances for people on the other side of the wall
Outsourcing: He argues that outsourcing has allowed companies to spilt their busines into parts in order to be more cost efficient
Offshoring: Manufactors way of outsourcing
The New Age of Creativity #1 - It "tipped the balance of power across the world toward those advocating democratic, consensual, free-market-oriented governance, and away from those advocating authoritarian rule with centrally planned economies." The New Age of Connectivity #2 - It allowed just about anyone to communicate and interact with anyone around the world. The Steriods #10 - The steriods are technologies that supercharged the other flatteners.
Collaspe
Ch. 3- The Triple Convergence
1.What does the author mean by the triple convergence?
- three more components that acted on the 10 flatteners
The three additional components that acted as a factor to "flatten" the world and level the global playing field.
Friedman means the triple convergence is the forces that acted together to flatten the world.
The way that the ten flatteners converge to create flatter world.
2.What was the second triple convergence?
Horizontalization, which is the means by which companies and people collaborate with other departments or companies to add value creation or innovation. Also when horizontalization and the ten flatteners begin to reinforce each other and people understand the capability of the technologies available.
The second triple convergence is that people and businesses were working together to get things done quicker, and more efficently.
The second convergence is a set of business skills and practices that get the full potential out of the ten flatteners.
Ch. 4- The Great Sorting Out
1.In the section, "Who Owns What," Friedman discusses intellectual property rights in the flat world. He writes that U.S. companies can do "one of three things with an innovation." What are these three things? What is Friedman's ideal patent system?
They can patent the widget they invented and sell it themsevles, they can patent it and license it to someone else to manufacture, or they can patent it and cross-license with several other companies so that they all have freedom of action to make a product that comes from melding many different patents. Companies need a patent system that encourages both appraches.
Section 2: America and the Flat World Ch. 5: America and Free Trade: Is Ricardo Still Right? 1.Explain why America would be able to survive in a flat world. The majority of Americans are "knowledge workers," or college-educated workers who can perform some kind of service. Friedman explains that instead of salaries decreasing as the number of "knowledge workers" increased, salaries actually increased. Also, the people earning higher wages wanted new products, which created new jobs to produce those products. Friedman is confident that if America can continue to produce "knowledge workers," it can survive in a flat world.
Americans are mostly college educated people. They can perform some sort of service to the world. He explains that the income of these educated worker theoretically should decrease as the number of them increases, but it is actually increasing. These people who are making the extra also want the new and better electronics and other new merchandise, which is creating more positions for others.
Most of the Americans are either knowledge workers or they are college educated workers, so most Americans are aware on how to use and function the merchandise. In this chapter Friedman says that by increasing the amount of knowledge workers or and the amount of college educted workers it could help increase salaries. Also with more Americans becoming knowledge workers and college educated there would be more jobs positions open which could help America survive in the flat world.
Ch. 6: The Untouchables
1.What does it mean to be an “Untouchable?”
Being an "untouchable" means that your job is so location-specific or specialized that it is not in danger of being outsourced or offshored.
Their job has no danger of being shipped off over seas.
2.Summarize the nine categories of “Untouchables.”
Technically, there are 9 categories of "untouchables." Here are the summaries: Great Collaborators and Orchestrators--People who can manage and work in global supply chains.
The Great Synthesizers--People who can take separate technologies and put them together to form an new product.
The Great Explainers--People who can take difficult concepts of what a product does and simplify it so that a client can understand how it will benefit them.
The Great Leveragers--People who can understand how an entire business works and who can help improve its functions.
The Great Adapters--People who continuously improve their skills to 'adapt' to stay employed.
The Green People--People who specialize and are interested in developing solutions to energy conservation and environmental problems.
The Passionate Personalizers--People who add a special touch to their work that makes them unique.
Math Lovers--People who love math and want to learn how to apply math to business functions.
The Great Localizers--Small- and medium-sized businesses that can use the available technology to compete globally.
The untouchables are not really what we think they are, they are the jobs that can't be outsourced. They include The Great Localizers, Math Lovers, The Passionate Personalizers, The Great Adapters, The Great Leveragers, The Great Explainers, The Great Synthesizers, and The Great Collaborators and Orchestrators.
Ch. 7: The Right Stuff
1. According to Friedman, what are the advantages of a "liberal arts education?"
Liberal Arts trains us to think horizontally, which is the education for a flat world. It makes connections between history, art, politics, and science.
Liberal arts connects the things that people believe aren't so widely accepted in society, such as art, musics, and sciences. He believes these things will help us to succeed to a flatter world. Ch. 8: The Quiet Crisis 1.What is the “Quiet Crisis?”
2.Friedman gives three reasons the “Quiet Crisis” is occurring. Explain them.
Ch. 9: This is Not a Test
1.In the section entitled “Muscles,” Friedman writes, “‘muscles’ workers need… portable benefits and opportunities for lifelong learning (383-384).” What evidence does Friedman offer to support this claim?
Section 3: Developing Countries and the Flat World
Ch. 10: The Virgin of Guadalupe
1.Explain the difference between reform wholesale and reform retail. How are they important to a flat world?
Reform wholesale is the combination of internet access, education that prepares people to innovate and work together, the right government that harnesses its country's assets to compete in the flat world, and a tolerant society that encourages new ideas. Reform wholesale is the first step to succeed in the flat world. Reform retail requires that countries continually upgrade their methods of reform wholesale to stay competitive.
2.What are the two qualities that Friedman refers to as “intangible things?” Briefly summarize the example he gives to illustrate the point.
Friedman describes these qualities as a society being willing to "pull together and sacrifice for the sake of economic development" and leaders who are willing to push their people to change. Friedman compares Mexico and China. He explains that China, with its autocracy, can easily focus its population to do what needs to be done. Mexico, on the other hand, has a multiparty democracy that debates over every little thing, and it is difficult to push through reform. Friedman argues that Mexico lacks the necessary leadership to persuade its citizens to change. Friedman concludes that Mexico must undergo reform retail to stay competitive with China.
Section 4: Companies and the Flat World
Ch. 11: How Companies Cope
1. Friedman writes that as the world goes flat, the companies that will survive and flourish are those who don’t “build walls.” What does he mean by this?
Friedman says that economic growth can only come with change, and therefore, only companies that are open to change can prosper. Only companies that use the flattening of the world to their advantage can survive. The strategy that does work is not building walls; it is using a shovel and adapting.
2. According to Friedman, companies that outsource to win are those that will do well in a flat world. Why?
Friedman says there are two types of companies that outsource. One type outsources to progress faster and cheaply. The other type outsources so they can fire people and save money from it. Companies that outsource to win not only save money, but also acquire more knowledge and talent, so the company can build faster.
Section 5: You and the Flat World
Ch. 12: Globalization of the Local
1. Explain how uploading and podcasting have made possible "the globalization of the local." How have they helped people to retain their culture?
Ch. 13: If It's Not Happening, It's Because You're Not Doing It
1. Describe the different methods of social entrepreneurship. Use examples from the reading.
Ch. 14: What Happens When We All Have Dog's Hearing?
1. In this chapter, Friedman discusses some of the negative effects flattening has had on society, particularly when it comes to technology. What are these effects? Give some examples from the reading. One, technology iPods, cell phones, etc., can be distracting. Two, there is less actual communication between individuals. Three, the internet is almost too flat. It is potentially problematic because there could be no secrets.
Section 6: Geopolitics and the Flat World Ch. 15: The Unflat World 1.In this chapter, there is a section in which Friedman discusses people who fall under the category of “too disempowered.” Define this term and briefly discuss the example that Friedman offers. 2.Also in this chapter, Friedman uses the category “too frustrated” to describe a group of people. Who are these people? What were the events that have led up to their frustration? How has this frustration affected their ability to compete in a flat world?
3.The category “too many Toyotas” deals with an event that is affecting China’s natural resources. Identify this event and briefly describe the effect it has had on China’s natural resources, and how it influences China’s standing in a flat world. Ch. 16: The Dell Theory of Conflict Prevention 1.In the section entitled Info-sys versus Al-Qaeda, Friedman compares how the two have used the advantages of a flat world along with that of the Internet. Briefly go over some of the points Friedman makes about each, touching upon the impact each has upon the world.
Section 7: Conclusion: Imagination Ch. 17: 11/9 Versus 9/11 1.In this chapter, Friedman poses an interesting question. “Does your society have more dreams than memories, or more memories than dreams?” (616) Using examples from the text, explain what Friedman means. Friedman explains the disadvantage of looking back instead of looking forward here: "In societies that have more memories than dreams, too many people are spending too many days looking backward. They see dignity, affirmation, and self-worth not by mining the present but by chewing on the past. And even that is usually not a real past but an imagined and adorned past. Indeed, such societies focus all their imagination on making that imagined past even more beautiful than it ever was,...rather than imagining a better future and acting on that" (617). Friedman is saying that the only way societies, and people's lives, change is by looking forward and imagining what could be better and acting on that to make it so. The thing to do with the past is to learn from it, not live there. We must live in the present for the future while improving upon what is left from the past. 2.Friedman states that imagination is the combined effort of two “shaping forces.” What are these forces? Include examples from the reading. Friedman explains that these "shaping forces" are": "The narratives that people are nurtured on," and "the context in which people grow up" (618). One example that Friedman shows is eBay, whose community rating system allows users to rate and review each others' services and provide positive feedback. This encourages the people to provide the best services they can, and they get a sense or accomplishment when their customers give them good reviews, culminating in a star system. Based on the number of positive reviews a member gets, his star turns a different color, indicating how much the community likes his business. (Remember you only get stars for positive feedback)
The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman
Directions: Study Questions: Answer the questions or elaborate on an answer that is already posted.
Section 1: How the World Became Flat
Ch. 1- While I Was Sleeping1. In this chapter, Friedman states that “the world is flat.” What does he mean by this?
Friedman means that more people than ever before can compete and work together all over the world at any time.
Friedman says that it "is a new found power for individuals to collaborate and compete globally." Pg. 10
He says "what the flattening of the world means is that we are now connecting all the knowledge centers on the planet togther into a single global network," page 8
Friedman explains that it is now easier for people to communicate between countries and explore such advanced technology by means such as cell phones, e-mail, Blackberries and many other types of technologies.
Friedman means that the playing field is leveled so that anyone can do anything anywhere. It doesnt matter if you are in India, you can stilll do work for americans and they may not even know it. This way work can get done 24 hours a day because it can be done anywhere in the world.
2. In chapter one, Friedman gives several examples of flattening. Discuss one.
Modern Flatting: personal computer (internet), telephones, satellites, fiber-optic cabel, international market (call centers in India; high technology global investment)
Flattening Examples: When Columbus discovered the New World, multinational companies, and almost any communication technologies
One example of flattening includes how people are now able to communicate on a widespread basis, all over the world- at any time and although good things come from it, faster production, quicker technology bad things also emerge such as terrorists groups and such.
Friedman also states that though there are great things to the world flattening like personal computers, international market, etc. terriosts and Qaeda networks also gain the advantage of flourishing technology.
Multinational Companies: He explains that any company can function all around the world because work can be done at any time. He salo says that the way of the future it international appeal so that you can sell your product all around the world, thus more profit for your company.
Ch. 2- The Ten Forces That Flattened the World
1. Choose three of the ten forces and briefly describe how they contributed to the flattening of the world.1.) Work Flow Software - Let more workers handle work faster then it being done manually. First the SMTP let people email without having to worry about what kind of computer system the other one has. But email was not enough companies were also able to sent out documents. With it required and language of the internet which was HTTP. This allowed any document to be transmitted or read on, on any computer. HTTP was not the only one then came HTML, TCP/IP, XML, and SOAP they were the standards. By all this it allowed any two computer exchange formatted data. Then with hand held devices it is cable of exchanging data from all four corners without having to move.
-Offshoring: The internal relocation of a company's manufacturing or other processes to a foreign land in order to take advantage of less costly operations there
Uploading - Explains how uploading is now being outsourced to many countries around the world especially India
Work Flow Software - explains how documents can be transmitted to any computer because this created the computers own language.
Retail Supply Chaining - Explains how different local stores are branching out and becoming major world wide companies such as walmart.
Collapse of Berlin Wall: Taking down the wall allowed economic advances for people on the other side of the wall
Outsourcing: He argues that outsourcing has allowed companies to spilt their busines into parts in order to be more cost efficient
Offshoring: Manufactors way of outsourcing
The New Age of Creativity #1 - It "tipped the balance of power across the world toward those advocating democratic, consensual, free-market-oriented governance, and away from those advocating authoritarian rule with centrally planned economies."
The New Age of Connectivity #2 - It allowed just about anyone to communicate and interact with anyone around the world.
The Steriods #10 - The steriods are technologies that supercharged the other flatteners.
Collaspe
Ch. 3- The Triple Convergence
1. What does the author mean by the triple convergence?- three more components that acted on the 10 flatteners
The three additional components that acted as a factor to "flatten" the world and level the global playing field.
Friedman means the triple convergence is the forces that acted together to flatten the world.
The way that the ten flatteners converge to create flatter world.
2. What was the second triple convergence?
Horizontalization, which is the means by which companies and people collaborate with other departments or companies to add value creation or innovation. Also when horizontalization and the ten flatteners begin to reinforce each other and people understand the capability of the technologies available.
The second triple convergence is that people and businesses were working together to get things done quicker, and more efficently.
The second convergence is a set of business skills and practices that get the full potential out of the ten flatteners.
Ch. 4- The Great Sorting Out
1. In the section, "Who Owns What," Friedman discusses intellectual property rights in the flat world. He writes that U.S. companies can do "one of three things with an innovation." What are these three things? What is Friedman's ideal patent system?They can patent the widget they invented and sell it themsevles, they can patent it and license it to someone else to manufacture, or they can patent it and cross-license with several other companies so that they all have freedom of action to make a product that comes from melding many different patents. Companies need a patent system that encourages both appraches.
Section 2: America and the Flat World
Ch. 5: America and Free Trade: Is Ricardo Still Right?
1. Explain why America would be able to survive in a flat world.
The majority of Americans are "knowledge workers," or college-educated workers who can perform some kind of service. Friedman explains that instead of salaries decreasing as the number of "knowledge workers" increased, salaries actually increased. Also, the people earning higher wages wanted new products, which created new jobs to produce those products. Friedman is confident that if America can continue to produce "knowledge workers," it can survive in a flat world.
Americans are mostly college educated people. They can perform some sort of service to the world. He explains that the income of these educated worker theoretically should decrease as the number of them increases, but it is actually increasing. These people who are making the extra also want the new and better electronics and other new merchandise, which is creating more positions for others.
Most of the Americans are either knowledge workers or they are college educated workers, so most Americans are aware on how to use and function the merchandise. In this chapter Friedman says that by increasing the amount of knowledge workers or and the amount of college educted workers it could help increase salaries. Also with more Americans becoming knowledge workers and college educated there would be more jobs positions open which could help America survive in the flat world.
Ch. 6: The Untouchables
1. What does it mean to be an “Untouchable?”Being an "untouchable" means that your job is so location-specific or specialized that it is not in danger of being outsourced or offshored.
Their job has no danger of being shipped off over seas.
2. Summarize the nine categories of “Untouchables.”
Technically, there are 9 categories of "untouchables." Here are the summaries:
Great Collaborators and Orchestrators--People who can manage and work in global supply chains.
The Great Synthesizers--People who can take separate technologies and put them together to form an new product.
The Great Explainers--People who can take difficult concepts of what a product does and simplify it so that a client can understand how it will benefit them.
The Great Leveragers--People who can understand how an entire business works and who can help improve its functions.
The Great Adapters--People who continuously improve their skills to 'adapt' to stay employed.
The Green People--People who specialize and are interested in developing solutions to energy conservation and environmental problems.
The Passionate Personalizers--People who add a special touch to their work that makes them unique.
Math Lovers--People who love math and want to learn how to apply math to business functions.
The Great Localizers--Small- and medium-sized businesses that can use the available technology to compete globally.
The untouchables are not really what we think they are, they are the jobs that can't be outsourced. They include The Great Localizers, Math Lovers, The Passionate Personalizers, The Great Adapters, The Great Leveragers, The Great Explainers, The Great Synthesizers, and The Great Collaborators and Orchestrators.
Ch. 7: The Right Stuff
1. According to Friedman, what are the advantages of a "liberal arts education?"
Liberal Arts trains us to think horizontally, which is the education for a flat world. It makes connections between history, art, politics, and science.
Liberal arts connects the things that people believe aren't so widely accepted in society, such as art, musics, and sciences. He believes these things will help us to succeed to a flatter world.
Ch. 8: The Quiet Crisis
1. What is the “Quiet Crisis?”
2. Friedman gives three reasons the “Quiet Crisis” is occurring. Explain them.
Ch. 9: This is Not a Test
1. In the section entitled “Muscles,” Friedman writes, “‘muscles’ workers need… portable benefits and opportunities for lifelong learning (383-384).” What evidence does Friedman offer to support this claim?
Section 3: Developing Countries and the Flat World
Ch. 10: The Virgin of Guadalupe
1. Explain the difference between reform wholesale and reform retail. How are they important to a flat world?
Reform wholesale is the combination of internet access, education that prepares people to innovate and work together, the right government that harnesses its country's assets to compete in the flat world, and a tolerant society that encourages new ideas. Reform wholesale is the first step to succeed in the flat world. Reform retail requires that countries continually upgrade their methods of reform wholesale to stay competitive.
2. What are the two qualities that Friedman refers to as “intangible things?” Briefly summarize the example he gives to illustrate the point.
Friedman describes these qualities as a society being willing to "pull together and sacrifice for the sake of economic development" and leaders who are willing to push their people to change. Friedman compares Mexico and China. He explains that China, with its autocracy, can easily focus its population to do what needs to be done. Mexico, on the other hand, has a multiparty democracy that debates over every little thing, and it is difficult to push through reform. Friedman argues that Mexico lacks the necessary leadership to persuade its citizens to change. Friedman concludes that Mexico must undergo reform retail to stay competitive with China.
Section 4: Companies and the Flat World
Ch. 11: How Companies Cope
1. Friedman writes that as the world goes flat, the companies that will survive and flourish are those who don’t “build walls.” What does he mean by this?
Friedman says that economic growth can only come with change, and therefore, only companies that are open to change can prosper. Only companies that use the flattening of the world to their advantage can survive. The strategy that does work is not building walls; it is using a shovel and adapting.
2. According to Friedman, companies that outsource to win are those that will do well in a flat world. Why?
Friedman says there are two types of companies that outsource. One type outsources to progress faster and cheaply. The other type outsources so they can fire people and save money from it. Companies that outsource to win not only save money, but also acquire more knowledge and talent, so the company can build faster.
Section 5: You and the Flat World
Ch. 12: Globalization of the Local
1. Explain how uploading and podcasting have made possible "the globalization of the local." How have they helped people to retain their culture?
Ch. 13: If It's Not Happening, It's Because You're Not Doing It
1. Describe the different methods of social entrepreneurship. Use examples from the reading.
Ch. 14: What Happens When We All Have Dog's Hearing?
1. In this chapter, Friedman discusses some of the negative effects flattening has had on society, particularly when it comes to technology. What are these effects? Give some examples from the reading.
One, technology iPods, cell phones, etc., can be distracting. Two, there is less actual communication between individuals. Three, the internet is almost too flat. It is potentially problematic because there could be no secrets.
Section 6: Geopolitics and the Flat World
Ch. 15: The Unflat World
1. In this chapter, there is a section in which Friedman discusses people who fall under the category of “too disempowered.” Define this term and briefly discuss the example that Friedman offers.
2. Also in this chapter, Friedman uses the category “too frustrated” to describe a group of people. Who are these people? What were the events that have led up to their frustration? How has this frustration affected their ability to compete in a flat world?
3. The category “too many Toyotas” deals with an event that is affecting China’s natural resources. Identify this event and briefly describe the effect it has had on China’s natural resources, and how it influences China’s standing in a flat world.
Ch. 16: The Dell Theory of Conflict Prevention
1. In the section entitled Info-sys versus Al-Qaeda, Friedman compares how the two have used the advantages of a flat world along with that of the Internet. Briefly go over some of the points Friedman makes about each, touching upon the impact each has upon the world.
Section 7: Conclusion: Imagination
Ch. 17: 11/9 Versus 9/11
1. In this chapter, Friedman poses an interesting question. “Does your society have more dreams than memories, or more memories than dreams?” (616) Using examples from the text, explain what Friedman means.
Friedman explains the disadvantage of looking back instead of looking forward here: "In societies that have more memories than dreams, too many people are spending too many days looking backward. They see dignity, affirmation, and self-worth not by mining the present but by chewing on the past. And even that is usually not a real past but an imagined and adorned past. Indeed, such societies focus all their imagination on making that imagined past even more beautiful than it ever was,...rather than imagining a better future and acting on that" (617). Friedman is saying that the only way societies, and people's lives, change is by looking forward and imagining what could be better and acting on that to make it so. The thing to do with the past is to learn from it, not live there. We must live in the present for the future while improving upon what is left from the past.
2. Friedman states that imagination is the combined effort of two “shaping forces.” What are these forces? Include examples from the reading.
Friedman explains that these "shaping forces" are": "The narratives that people are nurtured on," and "the context in which people grow up" (618). One example that Friedman shows is eBay, whose community rating system allows users to rate and review each others' services and provide positive feedback. This encourages the people to provide the best services they can, and they get a sense or accomplishment when their customers give them good reviews, culminating in a star system. Based on the number of positive reviews a member gets, his star turns a different color, indicating how much the community likes his business. (Remember you only get stars for positive feedback)